I remember hearing a recording of a message broadcast across Germany after the surrender. It began with the line “We aren’t here to be your friends”. It then explained that any further resistance would be met with overwhelming force of arms. Then there was a round of trial free executions for low level nazis who thought that they could just blend in and disappear.

The allies weren’t completely lawless at the end of the war either. My grandfather said that there were a fair number of allied troops who were charged with crimes against the German people. Apparently it was a big deal when a soldier got dunk and opened fire on a bunch of German POWs.

37 posted on 01/04/2013 2:40:22 PM PST by cripplecreek
(REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)

Ah, the old no peace without victory philosophy, victory here being judged by the standard of unconditional surrender. I wouldn’t have thought it necessary, but I’ll here briefly mention how the aim of total victory in WWI led rather directly to Naziism and Bolshevism.

Or do you not consider that peace to have been Carthaginian enough? Should we have razed cities and occupied for 50 years the great war losers like we did the losers of 45? Do you honestly consider whatever it was that followed WWII peace?